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Douglas A. GrandtP. O. Box 1582

El Dorado, CA 95623

President Barack Obama

The White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave NWWashington, D.C. 20500 Re: Throwing down the gauntlet - not just symbolically

Dear President Obama,

You have the moral obligation to take all measures necessary to assure that all the worldstarsands -- everywhere -- are not excavated and burned; measures including a carbon tax(fee to pollute), diplomacy, sanctions, boycotts, blockades; everything short of war.

You probably dont read the news, so I would like to share the following with you, becauseyou need to know that both the power of average people of conscience and the forces of verywealthy philanthropic people of conscience are descending upon you and those of your ilk:

Billionaire joins fight against Keystone XLPAUL KORING http://bit.ly/righteous-money-says-no-kxl

WASHINGTON The Globe and MailPublished Monday, Mar. 18 2013, 9:19 PM EDTLast updated Tuesday, Mar. 19 2013, 6:44 AM EDT

March 20, 2013

http://bit.ly/righteous-money-says-no-kxlhttp://bit.ly/righteous-money-says-no-kxlhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com//authors/paul-koringhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com//authors/paul-koring

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The Keystone XL pipeline faces a new, formidable and deep-pocketed foe: TomSteyer, a California billionaire, has targeted the controversial Canadian project tofunnel Albertas landlocked heavy crude to Texas refineries on the Gulf Coast.

For Mr. Steyer, Keystone has become the defining issue in the climate changefight of our times , said Chris Lehane, Mr. Steyers authorized spokesman. He hasplenty of resources and plays to win, Mr. Lehane said in an interview after Mr.Steyer waded into the Democratic primary race in Massachusetts with a threat toskewer a pro-Keystone candidate. That race is to select the partys candidate forthe Senate seat vacated by John Kerry, an ardent environmentalist who, assecretary of state, will also play a key role in Keystones fate.

Massachusetts is the next front where the Keystone fight will be engaged, Mr.Lehane said, adding that for Mr. Steyer, the bigger battle over Keystone was worth

tens of millions in spending on political action, public awareness and otherunspecified efforts. Keystone has enormous symbolic value in the whole climatechange struggle , Mr. Lehane said.

Mr. Steyer, 55, the founder of one of the worlds largest hedge funds, FarallonCapital, ended his active role as an asset manager last October to turn to full-timepolitical activism and climate change is, in his view, the gravest threat facinghumanity .

Increasingly, Keystone XL is painted by its U.S. opponents as a thinly disguisedCanadian scheme to ship Albertas carbon-laden crude currently heavilydiscounted in price to Gulf refineries where it can be exported . A coalition of

environmental groups opposed to Keystone has picked up powerful political alliesin recent days and, with the addition of Mr. Steyer, the war chest to wage anational campaign against the project in the decisive weeks ahead.

Mondays surprise target was Steve Lynch, a Democratic congressman seeking thepartys nomination for the Massachusetts Senate seat vacated by Mr. Kerry, whowas named secretary of state by President Barack Obama after Hillary Clintonsresignation.

Mr. Lynch, who backs Keystone, will learn theres a price to pay, Mr. Lehane said.

In a toughly worded letter, Mr. Steyer and four young Massachusetts

environmental activists, including a pair of high-school students, warned Mr. Lynchto act like a real Democrat and oppose Keystones dirty energy. Or, get a sworn,binding statement with securities law enforcement from TransCanada and therefiners that all of the Keystone-shipped oil will stay [in the United States].

The Lynch campaign vowed not to bow to threats but seemed stunned thatKeystone, a pipeline that runs nowhere near the East Coast state and a SanFranciscan worth $1.3-billion, according to Forbes were suddenly playing majorroles in the primary.

Mr. President ObamaMarch 20, 2013Page 2 of 3

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Its like something out of a James Bond film: a billionaire giving an ultimatum, said Conor Yunits, a spokesman for Mr. Lynch.

Mr. Steyers ultimatum expires Friday and the consequences were ominous. UnlessMr. Lynch recants and opposes the pipeline, Mr. Steyer will spend heavily to backhis opponent, congressman Edward Markey, who is against Keystone. The shotacross Mr. Lynchs political bow may be mostly symbolic. Massachusetts law limitsthe amount of outside spending in primary races, and Mr. Markey is already thefront-runner in the race.

Nevertheless, Mr. Steyer has thrown down the gauntlet to Democrats willing toback the pipeline. Climate change is the overwhelming issue of our time, Mr. Steyer, a Yale graduate, has said. And Keystone has increasingly become alitmus test of whether Mr. Obama was serious in his promises to do

something significant to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Mr. Steyers salvo sharply raises the Keystone stakes. Mr. Obama is expected todecide Keystones fate this summer. Last week, Nancy Pelosi, the nationssecond most powerful elected Democrat, indicated she wasnt buyingCanadian claims about a more reliable oil supply for Americans than thatavailable from unstable and untrustworthy Middle East states. TheKeystone crude is for export, she said, reflecting the new reality thatU.S. oil consumption has dropped massively in recent years.

We need to ween ourselves off oil, coal and gas, beginning right away; starting with tarsands.

Call upon our leaders here in America to support you in killing Keystone XL once and for all.

Call upon world leaders to begin replacing all forms of the carbon-fuel infrastructure -- oil,gas, coal, tarsands, pipelines, rail transport, refineries -- with carbon-free energy technology.

REDUCE -- dont expand -- the carbon fuel infrastructure to begin reducing GHG emissions.

For humanity

cc: Secretary John F. KerryMr. Rex W. Tillerson

Mr. President ObamaMarch 20, 2013Page 3 of 3